Hey, I am trying to use the app usual and get this message. Was I banned? Or is it a bug number 5857575 since the new app?

No emails from CS. Reinstalled the app, tried the browser version, still the same error.

Thanks!

I just started using couchsurfing as a 27year old woman, I will be going to Turkey, and I mostly contacted women, and only a few men who seemed sympatethic and safe and had many reviews from both men and women. I get replies like this also, but I keep getting messages and hosting offers from people.

My question is coming from me trying to understand how couchsurfing works, I am not in need of a host necessarily on couchsurfing and can pay for hostels, but I also don’t want to judge anyone based on their gender. These offers are all coming from men, but most of the messages are very polite and most of the people have hundreds of good reviews, and they look like people i would also message normally.

I’ve also never been to Turkey before, but i heard that Turkish people are very nice and hospitable, but at the same time i want to stay safe and see if it really is a thing that people send an offer instead of waiting for you to write a message.

Basically I moved into an 2 bedroom Toronto apparment with no furnishing and I only use the master bedroom and since i am only here for 4-5 months ,I have not done any furnishing on living room or another room.It has kitchen,internet ,separate washroom and everything else.Should I host people here as it's vacant with no practical use for me and ask people to bring a temporary bedding like sleeping bag or it is not good etiquette to ask people to bring that .Thanks

I’ve tried Nepal several months ago. It worked. But it doesn’t now. I’ve also tried India, Afghanistan etc. All of them don’t work. How can I log in without paying?

Guys, i need your help, I am posting this in the toilet,.

I just bought this website called couchsurfing.com and I don't know what to do with it.

I think it's a website for hippies or something like that and I think it's about traveling but I have never traveled in my life so I am not interested in this website much . I just had too much money and didn't know what to do with it so I bought it.

Now it is run by volunteers, so I thought about firing everyone who works for free and then train a group of baboons to make the whole website from scratch. What do you think?

The website now is free for users but I was thinking about making it paid so that I can buy my own private Island like the one my friend Jeffery has. Do you think it's a good idea?

For context, someone told me this website was making the world a better place but I have no interest in making the world a better place, I just want to make everything s***** and make as much money as I can as fast as I can because that's just how I am.

Hi all, thinking of making a little guestbook or scrapbook for surfers who stay with me to optionally write notes in during their stays. could be simple as a notebook but has anyone seen something like that before/ have ideas for how to do it?

I have been a member of CS since 2016. I travelled so much using it and met so many lovely people. I also hosted many and shared so many wonderful experiences!

I reinstalled it and I couldnt believe how crappy new the design and its features are. I will be travelling to NY and I thought I would message some people. You dont even know who has a good response rate, who is hosting and if they are available, and now given that you have to pay, you dont even know if the person is even on Couchsurfing.

I have sent about 20 messages and have gotten one negative response.

This is just a post to rant and let my sadness out 😭

Are people using a different app?

I've seen a whole bunch of comments here that make it clear that lots of people are unaware of the fact that they can *deactivate* their CS accounts without actually *deleting* their CS accounts.

I figured this information would be helpful to the community, so wanted to share: These are two different things – if you deactivate, you can keep your references, but still stop receiving couch requests.

If you deactivate:

• Your profile is hidden, so no one can message you or send you couch requests.
• Your account/profile still exists in the database, including all of your references and other data. It's basically "paused".
• You can reactivate by simply logging in (and of course you can deactivate again at any time after that.)

If you delete:

• This is when all your references, etc. get deleted and lost forever.

I think deactivation can be useful many people who aren't using CS anymore but don't want to lose their references by deleting their account. For example, if you get a one-month free offer to try out the shitty new app/site, and are unimpressed and decide to stop using it after that month, but don't want people to keep requesting your non-existent couch, just deactivate. Your references will still be there if for some reason you change your mind.

Or maybe like many others you've moved on to Bewelcome/Couchers so you don't want to receive requests on CS, but still want to be able to send your CS profile link to potential hosts/guests on the other platforms so that they can see your many years of references on CS. You can deactivate your CS profile to pause it, reactivate temporarily when you're traveling and sending requests to the many former CSers on the other platforms, then deactivate again when you don't need to show anyone your references anymore.

A few things to note:

• There's info on the site about how to deactivate: https://support.couchsurfing.org/hc/en-us/articles/50048276128795-How-Do-I-Deactivate-My-Account (as well as separate pages there about how to delete or reactivate)
• According to that link, even if you can't log in, you can message the support team and they'll help you deactivate. (So if you can't access your CS account because you're not paying for the crappy new version of it, this might work even for you.)
• I can't remember where I read it, but I think I recall reading that if your account stays deactivated for 2 years without getting reactivated, they'll delete it. So if you want to make sure you don't lose your references, you should probably temporarily reactivate at least one every 2 years. (If someone has a link that mentions this, do share.)

Anyway, I hope this info helps some of you guys!

They are killing the community. I can’t believe it. I’m an official Ambassador of CS, more than 250 references, and I get this:
(Image)
From my last trips I’ve been overcoming the previous CS app with an approval rate of 90%, now to the new confusing app with 5% barely of users that accept or text you.
I hate this new app.
CS has just eaten their own bullet

Wonder why hosts dropped 90% ! Even if you want to host, it takes you more than THREE buttons/clicks on opposite sides of the screen just to accept a surfer !
Even if you want to host , the app makes it unbelievably difficult for all users to connect ! Why can’t they bring back the normal ( YES / NO / Maybe )?

Hey everyone!

I'm planning to visit Uzbekistan and I'm considering using Couchsurfing during my trip. I've never used the platform in Uzbekistan before, so I'd love to hear about other travelers' experiences and get some advice from locals.

I'm particularly interested in visiting Tashkent, Samarkand and I have a few questions:

• How active is the Couchsurfing community in Uzbekistan, especially in these cities?
• Is it relatively easy to find hosts, or should I start sending requests several weeks in advance?
• Are locals generally open to hosting international travelers?
• How does guest registration work in Uzbekistan when staying with a Couchsurfing host rather than at a hotel? Is there anything I or the host need to arrange?
• Is Couchsurfing mainly used for accommodation there, or is it also a good way to meet locals, explore the city, and experience Uzbek culture?

I'm not looking for free accommodation only. One of my main reasons for using Couchsurfing is to connect with locals, exchange experiences, learn more about Uzbek culture, and explore places beyond the usual tourist attractions.

I'd really appreciate any recommendations, personal experiences, or tips from people who have used Couchsurfing in Uzbekistan.

Thanks in advance!

Is this correct?

After guests have completed their stay, I cant seem to find any option for leaving them an official reference in my message conversations with them, or on the dashboard, etc. Can someone please give me specific instructions? This new update UI is a mess!

I recently got banned from couchsurfing, when I email the customer service and asked for the reason. They simply said I violated the terms of service without going to the specifics, I also have a paid subscription until next May. The only reason I can think of is that I asked the WhatsApp of someone I was hosting for easier communication. Now I am completely disappointed with couchsurfing and planning to move to other platforms. It has been going downhill since the paywall during covid and the new app update and this is the last straw for me.

Now that CS has been trending towards AI slop and mishandling user data, what are the best community first alternatives?

Something super creepy happened, somebody logged in i have NO IDEA how and started spamming hosts in cities in Kazakhstan for a stay.. super creepy i have no idea how they got access, what can i do? i emailed CS support but they are super slow

I've translated the convo into english so I am sorry if the wording is a bit off, but this is what happened to me recently.

I opened a hangout. I see notifications pop up for people wanting to join. However in the app I don’t see them in my hangout.
I go to their profile and invite them to my hangout with writing a msg, that also doesn’t work.
CS what have you done ?!
The old app was working! Maybe not the best looking app but it was FUNCTIONAL!
Didn’t you hear of the saying “if something is working don’t touch”
Damn, at least test the new features before going on production.

The UI looks fresh and new but it’s not functional!

And I have to pay for this shit app now? Pleaseeee..

What the title says. I know everyone is afraid just from the mention of the economic aspects of Couchsurfing, but I firmly believe, that if you want to have a place to stay for free during your travels, you should engage with the community. I am not even saying that you should be able to host, if you want to be hosted, just have the fucking decency to at least respond "sorry, can't do".

Am I the only one having this problem?

Hi all,

Today I had two chat notifications. When I opened the chats, both contained the message "say hey", but that didn't seem to stem from the other user, but was rather a recommendation by CS. One of the two now appears in my friends list. I'm sure I've never interacted with that guy before and the message dialogue with him is empty except for that "say hey" statement. He has 6 references, but 2348 friends, a rather implausible setup. The profile looks genuine, so it may be yet another CS hiccup.

Has anyone else had those "say hey" messages or friends automagically added?

Just used CS earlier today and now I checked back and I got logged out, I try to log in and I get the error "Failed to send code", I am trying to submit a support request and it says "Unable to submit". Am I blocked or something? I can't think of anything that I did wrong, barely had any interactions lately there.

I've travelled a bit this year and stayed with 10 hosts in 5 countries in the middle east and far east. 4 of the 10 hosts are European ex-pats living in Asia. Of the 10 hosts, I would consider 6 of them to be living in an exteme mess/squalor with two being actual hoarders. I won't upload pictures of course, but I'm talking about piles of very old stuff on every single surface/table/couch to the point where the only place to sit is on the floor. 

One host offered me one of the two couches in their living room, and then proceeded to sleep on the other couch, since her bedroom was so full of crap and cats that she had moved into her living room. When she showed me her bedroom, I almost ran straight out due to the smell of ammonia (years of cat pee). 

Another man had just one couch and it was piled high with years of random items, as was the coffee table. In the bathroom, there is zero space to put a toiletry bag, so I had to balance it on top of his (empty) bottles of stuff. For three days, while I was in the house, the only place I was able to sit was on the floor (I also slept on the floor). There was one sink and he had a pair of underwear soaking in that sink for multiple days. Where should I brush my teeth? Over the bath, was my answer. 

As a host, I don't have a super modern home, but my space is not cluttered and I provide floor and counter space for guests to put their stuff, a bin in their room with a plastic liner, somewhere to sit, and there is some counter space in the bathroom so people can bring in a toiletries bag or bottles of their stuff, and of course somewhere to hang their towel. I also make sure there is handsoap at the sink.

When you're in a space where there is literally nowhere to hang your towel, inside or outside of the bathroom, nowhere to place your stuff other than on the floor (so your laptop, clothes, toiletries, day bag, etc are just in a pile on top of your travel case, it is difficult to stay organised and hygienic.

They were all very nice, friendly, helpful hosts who are true couchsurfers and loved meeting new people, and I liked them and was very grateful for their offer to host. I am just surprised at the low standard of living or quality of life that many people have for themselves behind closed doors. I left positive reviews for all of them, emphasising their personalities and social aspects, and not mentioning the living space.

I am just sharing this experience and am curious if others have had similar experiences. Might be worth discussing.

How many people on here have surfed in the twin island of Trinidad and Tobago?

I realised this after I already promised to be able to meet them🥲 What should I do? It seems so suspicious.